The One That Got Away
by Gnomie897
Summary: Shawn has to make a decision. How I think the 3rd season should've ended. Shules


Her lips brushed his cheek and he closed his eyes, savoring the soft feeling and wishing that it could be under different circumstances. Why was her timing so off?

"Go get her Shawn," Jules whispered, stepping back from him and flashing the ghost of a smile. He raised his hand to his face, touching the spot on his cheek that her lips had touched; it tingled under his fingers. "She's not going to wait forever." He nodded, slowly taking in the real world and trying to make sense of it all.

"Jules!" She turned back to him, her eyes painfully hopeful; he dropped his hand from his face and opened his mouth. Words danced on his tongue; they would be so easy to say, but he rebuked himself. "I am so sorry…" Her eyebrows rose in that quizzical expression he was so used to, the one he couldn't get enough of. "For snapping at you earlier."

"I know." With one more nod, she turned and walked out the back entrance. He stared after her for a couple minutes, still in shock as he picked up his tray of goodies and backed out the front entrance. His eyes searched for her as footsteps approached and he had to almost force his small smile at seeing Abigail. At first he said nothing, simply held out the popcorn for her.

"You alright?" she inquired, ignoring the popcorn as he offered it. He pulled it closer to him, giving her a quizzical look.

"Yeah," he responded immediately, though his mind was still back at the concession stand. "Why would you ask that?"

"Mostly because you look like you just got sucker punched in the stomach and stopped breathing for a couple seconds." They shared a laugh as he looked to the side, taking a deep breath.

"I didn't realize I was that transparent." He half-chuckled again, shaking his head slightly. "The truth is…" The words burned his lips; he licked them and continued. "Everything's not OK, Abigail." He paused again, blowing a breath past his lips and raising his eyes to hers. Her smile made him chuckle nervously again. "I don't know how to say this."

"Try using words to form a sentence," she responded, looking at the ground then back at him. He could see the apprehension in her eyes, pained by a repeat process of being disappointed by Shawn Spencer. The thought almost stopped him completely; he nearly considered making a joke about the concession stand running out of butter. His cheek was still tingling.

"Abigail, you _are_ the one that got away," he said slowly, pausing to bite his bottom lip and raise his eyes to the sky. Abigail shifted nervously, her finger on her chin as she too chewed on her bottom lip nervously. Slowly he lowered his eyes back to hers and she saw the conflict there.

"Shawn…" She paused as well, finding words hard as she looked anywhere but his face. "Shawn, what are you saying?" Shawn breathed heavily, a distressed sound as he bounced a bit; the popcorn bounced noisily in the bag.

"Ahh…" He looked at the ground, the popcorn, the sodas, finally raising his eyes to hers and flashing a half-smile. "You've always been the one who got away; th-the girl that I always think about when someone mentions 'the one that got away'." She smiled, confused at whether this was a disappointment or a good thing.

"But?" She tucked her hair behind one ear and pressed her lips together in a thin, nervous line.

"I…" He stopped, looking into her eyes and questioning himself whether he really wanted to do this or not. Looking into her brown eyes was an alien feeling; even as he stared at her, his mind was with Jules, in that lost moment, back in the concession room. "I can't do this." Her shoulders slumped and she pressed a knuckle against her lips, looking to the ground and refusing to return his apologetic stare.

"It's Juliet, isn't it?" she asked softly, closing her eyes in a pained expression.

"Abigail, I'm so sorry." _That word has to stop coming from my mouth, _he scolded himself internally. How many times had he said that today? How many women had he quoted that very line to? _It's not my fault_, he thought vehemently in the very back of his mind.

"It's OK, Shawn," she responded, her voice never rising higher that a soft whisper. She looked up at him, flashing a smile even as she looked into his eyes and shrugged. "You know. I'm used to it by now." He closed his eyes, shifting the box so he could raise one hand and pinch the bridge of his nose.

"Don't say that," he mumbled, laughing just a bit before shaking his head and looking up at her. "Please don't say that."

"What am I supposed to say, Shawn?" She was suddenly angry and he couldn't take that either. He set the box down on the bench next to the building and attempting to comfort her. She brushed him away, holding her hands up to ward him off. "No. I've had my fair share of disappointments in life, Shawn; you being the biggest of them." He attempted to speak but she waved her hand to shush him. "I thought you'd change; that that boy that left me standing on the pier while he was hiding twenty or so feet away had matured into a man that wouldn't let me down again." She bit her bottom lip, looking at him with glazed eyes and a dead smile.

His words flew from his mind, leaving it blank and him without a witty retort for once in his life. His mouth hung open, his tongue still as he tried to find some redeeming factor in this night. "Now," she continued, grabbing the bridge of her nose and looking down for a second with one hand on her hip. "Go get her. No girl waits forever. Even if the prize is Shawn Spencer."

"Abigail," he tried but like before she shushed him with a quick hand motion. When she met his eyes again, she was smiling.

"Its OK," she repeated as she had before. She dropped both hands to her hips, shifting her weight to one foot. "I'm fine with it, I really am. Now, go." She shooed him with her hands, smiling as her eyes teared up subtly.  
"Loosing the great Shawn Spencer isn't too much?" he asked, ducking a little bit to catch the expression his joke gave her. She grimaced, shaking her head and pursing her lips in disapproval. "Too soon?" She nodded and he sucked in air through his teeth, shaking his head at his own shame. "Too soon for an apology hug?" He spread his arms and she shook her head slightly, laughing as she stepped in to wrap her arms around him in a warm hug.  
When they pulled back, her tears were gone and she was truly smiling now. "Go!" she urged him, smacking his butt with a giggle. He stepped back, bowing a bit and turned to leave. Rethinking it, he turned back and kissed her cheek softly.  
"Thank you," he said softly before turning back and running to the car, parked and waiting for him and her. Now only he slid into the driver's seat, cranking the engine as he pulled on his seat belt. Gus sat forward in the back seat.  
"What's going on?" he asked, glancing over his shoulder to where Abigail was still standing, twirling her keys around one finger as she kicked softly at the ground. "What's up with Abigail?" Shawn turned to look at his friend, his eyes pleading as he shook with a tad bit of excitement.  
"Gus…" Gus sat back, shaking his head and pursing his lips.

"Oh no, Shawn," he said slowly, wagging a finger at his friend for emphasis. "I know that look."

~*~*~*~*~

Shawn pulled the car to a stop and looked out the window, holding the steering wheel in a white-knuckle grip. He looked at himself in the rear view mirror, raising his hands to straighten out his hair and smooth his eyebrows. Taking a couple breaths he met his eyes carefully.

"You can do this," he spoke, smiling to test it out. His whole body shook as he undid his seat belt and opened his car door. The walk to the front door was barely memorable; he tripped over his feet to get there, knocking on the door with more force than necessary. Somewhere in the house, he heard the TV put to mute and muffled footsteps hurried to the front door. He took one more calming breath before the door swung open and he had to meet her eyes.

He thought he had been used to looking into those eyes, but they sideswiped him yet again and his words were scattered for a second. Apparently, words were lost for Juliet too as she gaped at him. She situated her robe, a light purple thing that Shawn could only imagine was fuzzy to the touch, and brushed her hair from her face. "About that date," he gasped out, laughing as he doubled over to try and catch his breath. He hadn't meant to sprint to the door.

"Shawn?" she inquired, the faint makings of a smile touching her lips then dying instantly. "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be on a date!" He held up a finger, shaking his head as he gulped down fresh air.

"Jules," he struggled to say. She raised her eyebrows and he shook his head, stepping forward and grabbing her face between his hands. Without giving her time to register what was happening, he pressed his lips to hers. It took her a second to feel the shock spread through her body, another two to comprehend what was happening and another three to react. Her hands rose to his face as well, running her fingers through his hair and pulling him closer.

When breath became a necessity, they pulled back and he stared into her eyes, smiling like a goon as he brushed her bangs from her face. She licked her lips and shook her head slightly, drinking him in with her eyes. "I don't understand," she spoke softly. He ran his fingers through her hair, enjoying the wave as it trickled under his touch.

"I couldn't let her get away," he replied with a crooked grin before he leaned in and recaptured her lips. She pressed into him, smiling and wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Hey Jules?"

"What Shawn?"

"You got any pineapple?"


End file.
